


So Little Time Left (Thane Krios)

by sbulls



Series: Mass Effect - Era of the Bull [2]
Category: Commander Shepard - Fandom, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 1 - Fandom, Mass Effect 2 - Fandom, Mass Effect 3 - Fandom, Mass Effect Trilogy, Thane Krios - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Multiple Timelines, Paragon/Renegade, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 02:05:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14154309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sbulls/pseuds/sbulls
Summary: Venus Shepard was born on Earth, but she never knew her parents. A child of the streets, she learned to live by her wits and guts, surviving in the hidden underbelly of the megatropolises of humanity's homeworld.Eager to find a better life, she joined the Alliance military when she came of age. She was on shore leave at Elysium when the first wave of the Skyllian Blitz struck. A massive coalition force of slavers, crime syndicates, and batarian warlords attacked the human colony, determined to wipe it out.Shepard rallied the civilian inhabitants, leading them in their desperate fight to hold off the invaders. When enemy troops broke through the colony's defenses, she single-handedly held them off and sealed the breach.After hours of brutal fighting, reinforcements finally arrived and the enemy broke ranks and fled. Because of her actions, Elysium was saved, and she is regarded throughout the Alliance as a true hero.-This is a collection of pieces of a Thane Krios love story. They may not be in order, but they usually all connect.





	1. Goodnight, Commander

Everyone was dancing, chatting, having a great time. Shepard let herself have a little fun at first. After a while, the drinks started reminding her of what she was attempting to temporarily forget. She'd wandered back to the small office space, staring at the framed picture. She felt good after the memorial. Not good. Just better. Kolyat's own togetherness might have been the only reason she remained cool to begin with.

It was hard. She loved Thane so much. She allowed herself to fall for him in spite of the inevitable. It was unwise to do, in terms of mental health. He still consumed a lot of her thoughts, on and off the battlefield. She picked up the framed picture, biting her lip, knowing Thane would not approve of how much she was grieving for him. She took a deep breath, holding back more tears.

She lifted the tumbler in her other hand, knocking back the remaining gulp of alcohol. However, perhaps it was one gulp too many as a drunken fuzz grew like a vignette on her peripherals.

Then she could see Thane. He stood over her, stroking her short, curly hair with a slight look of disappointment. "Siha," he sighed.

"I didn't plan on this," she defended, sitting upright. "Just... _wow_ ," she scoffed, "It really is tough." She reached out and gripped his hands. "I love you."

"I love you, Venus," he smiled, "And I fell for you because I could see how brave and strong you were, and you still are."

"I am," she agreed, taking another deep breath. "I'm gonna finish this, and... I think you'll see me pretty soon." Shepard had felt for a while now that she wasn't going to come out of this one alive. She was confident in her ability to defeat the Reapers, but she was certain it would cost her life again. And two tries at this life was all she could take.

"If that is your fate, then you will find me waiting on the shore," he leaned down and placed a soft kiss against her forehead, putting her to sleep.

-

Garrus hadn't seen Shepard in a while. Everyone was still dancing and hanging out, but the Turian was the first to become very aware of her prolonged absence. He slipped out of the kitchen, checking every room. The last place he thought to check was actually one of the closest rooms. He followed a strong alcohol smell into a back office room to find Shepard aggressively slouched forward, resting her elbow on the desk and her face in her hand. Garrus stepped closer. "Shepard?" She didn't move. Her free hand was gripping a picture frame, faced down on the desk, and he realized her eyes were closed.

The screen in front of her showed a message. One he'd never seen, but he recognized it because she'd already confided this in him, and he could recognize the drell's familiar language of meeting her across the sea. And if that was true, then Thane's picture would be in that frame.

Garrus sighed, unsure of how to continue. Immediately, he knew Shepard wouldn't want anyone to see her like that. She got too drunk and the wound Thane left behind was still too fresh. Her captain's jacket was hung over the backrest of her chair, and Garrus pulled it up and draped it over her strong, bare shoulders. She would be okay to sit there a little longer.

He sped back out to the main room, keeping a collected composure. He noted EDI and Joker sitting close on the couch, talking quietly. Wrex, Zaeed, Jacob, and Steve were still at the bar. No one was dancing anymore. Ash and James were flirting in some corner. Grunt appeared to have fallen asleep in front of the door console. Jack, Miranda, Liara, and Samara were stood in front of one of the windows, civilly chatting. No one had seen Kasumi in a while, but Garrus wouldn't bother looking. The party seemed mostly wound down. Perhaps he could simply take care of Shepard without drawing attention.

He casually made his way back to the office, to find Shepard had laid her head down on the desk, and let her arms hang between her inward bent legs. Part of him wanted to chuckle at the sight of his blackout drunk friend, but other parts of him realized how much pain she must have been in for _Commander Shepard_ to let herself get this way. 

No one out there would notice movement on the staircase. They were all getting tired and complacent. Garrus picked her wrist up and threw her arm around him. She responded to this by pulling him down into a tight, sleeping hug. He didn't mind this as it made it easier to get her to her feet.

She mumbled..something, he couldn't tell if it was words. "Let's get you somewhere to rest, Shepard." Of course, Shepard and Vakarian were nearly neck and neck when it came to strength and combat, but it didn't really register just how heavy that strength made her until he tried walking her up the stairs without her help.

As Garrus had his arm around her waist, pulling her up, he could feel the rock hard muscle of her entire torso. Shepard leaned heavier against the helpful turian, who started to wobble at this unexpected shift in weight. "Damn it, Shepard," he hissed, balancing out again. They'd made it up to the first landing.

"Mm?" Shepard mumbled.

"Nothing, V," he responded. "Just having to save your ass again, the usual."

"Wshdgt back to..." she beckoned a drunken hand behind her.

Garrus stopped halfway up the stairs to ask "Hmm?"

"...the fight..."

"See, that's what I like about you and your species, Shepard," Garrus commented, continuing up the steps, "You don't know when to give up and sit out." Finally, they reached the top. The journey to the bed proved way easier as dragging her feet across the carpet helped remove her shoes. He sat her down on the foot of the bed, and moved to pulled back the blanket and sheet from the top. When he turned back to pick up the commander again, she had laid down across the foot and was lazily fumbling at the jewelry around her neck. He lightly pushed her hands away and bent down to find the clasp. "Although, I suppose the best thing about you is that you don't know _how_ to give up." He finally separated the necklace from itself and placed it on one of the nightstands. He helped her up once more, noticing the deep lines around her eyes. He knew she hadn't been sleeping lately. "Guess it's also the worst thing..." he added, wondering just long long she'd been functioning on the absolute minimal sleep.

She was waking up a little, her exhausted eyes opening, but being unable to fight back against her heavy lids. "Garrus?" she mumbled, noticing her surroundings. "Yer not takin' me to bed are ya?"

Garrus chuckled, realizing how the situation must have looked. "Dropping you off, more like. You really need some sleep." He walked her around the bed to where he opened the covers as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Here we go, commander." He turned her around and sat her down.

"You took off m'shoes already?" she slurred, smirking up at him, "What a good friend ya'are, V'karian." He laughed again as she laid down flat, and he helped pull the covers back over her. "But you're _not_ gettin' in this dress," she teased.

"Venus, that dress is so tight, I'm shocked to see _you_ fit in it," he jabbed. Shepard let out a muffled, drunken laugh. Garrus turned off the light beside her bed, and turned to leave. "Goodnight, commander," he offered. "Sleep happy knowing you threw a great party for your crew."


	2. Curious

"Time for me is short, Siha, but any I have is yours to take." Occasionally, she'd let herself forget that was really nothing she could do for his condition. There was no cure, no real treatment. Then, he'd mention it, as you'd expect someone in his situation to do, and she held back a grimace. After two years dead, she didn't waste time thinking about death if she didn't have to.

But he was just so at peace. She stirred to complete the mission and treat him to the real, affectionate woman she was out of uniform. And she feared that would be a side of herself she'd never get the chance to show Thane. If they survived this mission, how much longer would they have?

He reached across the table, gripping her hands in his. Maybe he could see the look in her eyes, but he didn't say anything about it. He just watched and waited.

She traced his face with her eyes, attempting to commit every curve and angle to memory, wishing vaguely she could have eidetic memory. She couldn't help but smile. She was just so fond of him.

"Venus," she said. The drell blinked and barely cocked his head. "My name."

Thane smiled gently. "Venus," he attempted, "I like that." He lifted her hand closer to his face, placing a soft kiss against the backs of her fingers.

She bit her bottom lip, fighting back a bigger smile. "Thank you."

"Venus..." he repeated like he was getting a feel for it, playing with her fingers in his hands. "Why wait until now to tell me?"

She shrugged, looking away for a good way to explain it. "I wasn't keeping it from you... not specifically. I don't think a lot of people know. My superiors, Garrus -but he's my best friend, Liara -but she's the Shadow Broker, Ashley..." She trailed off, wondering for a moment if she was thinking about her too. They were just too good of friends and had gone through too much to be this estranged. It was so weird, the way things changed after two years. "And you," she added, letting the smile return to her face.

"So it's a secret, except to those close to you," Thane assumed.

"Not a hugely kept secret, but yeah, I guess," Shepard nodded. "I don't open up often, and I tend not to divulge too much. I was an orphan on Earth. I grew up in a gang, not a home. And sure, a gang is a lot like family, in terms of loyalty, but those people don't love you or want to know who you are. You're just wearing the same gear, so you gotta have each other's back, even if you didn't know each other's name."

She could see the other members faces like she was scrapping around the blue marble with them yesterday. "But family has your back no matter what gear you wear. I never had a family...until I joined the Normandy. The SR-1, I mean." She bit her lip, thinking about the couple months they had to find Saren, and how quickly she had grown to care for them, regardless of how they felt about her. "I'd never cared so much about another person before," she admitted, glancing at the table and letting the better memories filter through her head.

She could remember getting to know Wrex and his culture better. He really opened her eyes to the krogan, and how alike they were to humans in spite of all the differences. She enjoyed visiting with Garrus, his sense of humor really matched with hers, and she was nearly startled by how quickly their friendship developed. She also liked to see the way he was changing as their mission went on, and he discovered more about the galaxy outside of C-Sec. Similarly, she could remember young Tali, so fascinated by the Normandy. Yet she was so brave and willing to put her pilgrimage on hold to protect the galaxy.

Even Liara, who Shepard had been very wary of at first, became a close friend. Admittedly, Shepard wasn't sure she should continue the friendship when the asari confessed her feelings for the commander. But Liara was quickly more concerned with the death of her mother, and seeking her revenge from Saren, it never became something to worry about. Shepard was used to the occasional soldier admitting some kind of attraction to her. She wasn't surprised when Kaidan mentioned something similar.

Kaidan... He was a good man, and a better soldier, that L2 implant proving very efficient with the Lieutenant. And a wave of guilt washed over her as she thought of his bravery and honor. He was an Alliance soldier through and through. He'd be disappointed in what Shepard was doing with Cerberus just like Ashley. Damn it, all that time they spent on the SR-1 meant nothing when Shepard stood beside a yellow logo. Ashley made family sound so important, and Shepard believed her at first, accepting her as a piece of her own family. But on Horizon, Ashley glared like she was a strange enemy.

Thane misinterpreted the way Shepard often spoke of the Operations Chief . "Ashley?" he guessed.

Shepard was pulled out of her memories, her sight finding those big, black eyes again, finding some peace again. Then she realized what he asked, and laughed softly, gripping his hands a little tighter. "No, no, I don't think she swings that way. I'm talking about all of 'em. Ashley was a sister to me. And Kaidan was a brother to us." She took a deep breath. "But I had to choose. And I think Ashley is still resentful of me. She just kept telling me I should have gone back for him. But I had to choose."

Shepard had zoned out on the table between them, getting lost on Virmire once again. She had nightmares about that day - more often than she liked to admit - and found it was easy to let herself wallow in the regret. Thane watched her eyes dart occasionally as she must have been reliving the moment she was discussing.

She blinked and looked up at him, remembering where she was. "Sorry," she smiled to ease the moment, adjusting herself in the chair, "Guess my memories can sort of take over too."

Thane thought for a moment. "I'm interested in learning about you," he said, running his thumb along a set of splotchy scars on her hand and wrist that he'd never noticed before. "Usually, you're in here asking the questions."

"Well, I'm very curious," she admitted with a tiny shrug. "And maybe you just keep fueling that curiosity. You are not the kind of person I expected you to be."

"You've overthrown every expectation I had of you," Thane smiled.

"Mm," she sighed, "The insane Reaper-spouting human with the Spectre handout?"

"You don't think that's what the galaxy has heard about you?" Shepard shrugged. It certainly felt like it sometimes. "By word of mouth, I knew of you as the savior of the citadel, the justice-bringer of a traitorous Spectre agent. People praised you for saving that colony on Feros, saving the council. And people mourned you when you died. You touch more lives than you can ever know, Venus."

She swallowed and blinked a couple times, resting back in the chair. "Wow, that's.." she scoffed with a smile, "That's so nice."

"It's true," he replied. He leaned a little closer. "I'd like to know more."

"More?" she laughed, feeling like she'd already divulged more in this one sitting than during all her time on the SR-1. "What else would you like to know?"

Thane took a moment to think before he asked. He had questioned about herself specifically, but he understood she didn't typically talk about herself. He wanted to start with easier questions about the battles she'd encountered. "What was it like hunting that rogue Spectre? Or becoming the first human Spectre?"

"Whoa, those are both loaded questions," she laughed. And she took a few beats to think, her hands enveloping his. "Nowadays, I just feel like any other Spectre. I suppose, at first, I didn't think anything of it. Really, it felt like a handout from the council, just a title. But then Anderson gave me the Normandy. I had real command over a ship. And when we got out there and started working, nothing got in my way." She shrugged. "Nothing I didn't let get in my way, at least. I realized being a Spectre came with some serious advantages. Like power. The power to do as I see fit. I may have been skeptical about it at first, but upon finding out just what that title meant, I felt... honored." She pursed her lips for only a moment. "Undeserving," she admitted.

"Undeserving?" Thane repeated.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "I am aware that I've made an outstanding career for myself in the military, and I've overcome really shitty odds...but did I deserve to be given such an amazing responsibility?"

He was shocked to hear her say that. She appeared so cool and confident, no matter the species she was talking to or the problems she confronted. For her to be intimidated by the power of the council seemed unfathomable to Thane.

"And then I realized I was the only one able to see the very clear warning signs of the Reapers coming, and I decided, yes, I am in fact quite deserving of that responsibility."

Thane smiled wide at her. She always set him up to view her in one way just to change it up with the very next word. He loved that he couldn't predict what she was going to say next. "I believe you're right," he said.

"And catching Saren was just frustrating," she shook her head. "We were chasing him, not catching him. Always one step behind. It was... disheartening. And knowing my whole crew was itching to take him down, every day we went without catching him, I got a little more tense."

"Really?" Thane asked.

"Well, yes," Shepard laughed, her brows furrowed. "I'm not going to lie to you."

"It's just unexpected," he explains, "When Garrus talks about that time, he describes you as an unyielding individual, eager to dispense justice and 'put a foot up the ass of anyone dumb enough to get in the way'."

Shepard laughed again, a sound Thane loved more every time it happened. "That sounds.. exactly like Archangel." But her smile faded as she pondered that mission. "It was just so fast, y'know? I always took time out my crew, getting to know them, getting their input. Because as a leader, I think that's an important part of the job. Knowing your people, and how to unify them. But I wasn't going to waste time telling them about my life. They all already knew the important parts. The Blitz and all that."

"There's more to you than a commander, Venus," he stated, looking at their hands between them, and noticing that the splotchy scars started at the bottom of her thumb, and trailed down her sleeve. He was curious to know where those came from. "Your people should know that."

"Hey, I think I'm doing pretty good here, don't you?" she gestured between them. He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand. "But I understand what you're saying. I think I confided the most in Garrus, but even still, I don't think any of them knew what was going on in my head. It would have been good to discuss it more. Liara tried getting something out of me, but I..." She bit her lip. "I guess I've been burned too many times in my youth. But eventually, they all became friends. Finding Garrus on Omega was great. Having someone I know from experience that I can trust... And if Tali can come with us, even better." She met eyes with him again. "Not that I don't enjoy my new companions."

"Do you trust me, Venus?"

She smiled, "I wouldn't be holding your hand if I didn't."


	3. Dantius Towers

The guards never stood a chance with him. They were too busy  _talking_ about the assassin instead of  _looking for him_. A brisk snap of a neck or a silenced gunshot, and an easy drop down a vent and the problem was taken care of.

As the body slid from his grasp, he heard footsteps from the room below, where all that fighting had presumably taken place. When the body met the floor with a thud, the footsteps collectively stopped, and hushed voices began. "What the- Where did he come from?" a male voice asked.

"Ssh!" a high pitched female voice interrupted. "I think your assassin is going about this the smart way." And it was silent for a moment.

A deeper female voice spoke up. "Well, if you wanna go crawling through vents and ducts, be my guest."

"Uh, with an assassin -without your firepower?" the first female nearly shrieked. "In this place? No, thanks. I think I'll stick with you, Shep." Shep? Like Shepard? It must have been some kind of coincidence, must be someone else. What would someone like the once-dead Commander Shepard want with him, or Nassana Dantius?

"Glad to hear it, Kasumi," the deep female voice said. "Besides, assassin with his skill set? By now, he knows we're here. I'm not interested in saving Nassana, but we've got to find him before he disappears. We're gonna need all the help we can get." Thane grew curious. At first he suspected he'd have to fight these newcomers or try and escape them, but hearing that they  were disinterested in saving the contract, he was curious to know just who these people were. He moved on, expectant to meet them, hopefully before he got himself gunned down.

"And we get to kill a buncha mercs in the process," The male voice added enthusiastically.

The "Shep" character chuckled in response. "I knew I taught you well,  _Archangel_. Alright, check your clips. Let's not let him get too far ahead."

"You got it," Kasumi answered.

"Right behind you," Archangel assured as he popped a used thermal clip.

-

"Shepard? But... _you're dead_." Nassana's mercs all stared down the barrel of their guns. As Thane made his way through the ducts, he could hear the conversation below.

"I got better," Shepard retorted with malice in her voice as if they'd had a history, in Thane's opinion.

"And now you're here to kill me."

"Maybe I just missed you." The commander took a couple steps.

"Screw you, Shepard."

The commander let out a humorless chuckle. " _Charming as ever_."

"I'm sure you find this all very ironic. First you take care of my sister, and now you're here for me. Well, you made it this far. Now what?"

"I wouldn't waste time hunting you down, Nassana."

"What do you call this?" the asari demanded. "You've practically destroyed my towers."

"I wasn't looking for  _you_ ," Shepard explained.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nassana was getting more anxious in response to Shepard's cryptic conversation. "Is it credits? Is that what you want? Just tell me your price. We can make this problem go away."

Shepard chuckled, and folded her arms over her chest. "Make me an offer," she suggested, wondering where the assassin was.

"Double whatever you're getting!" Nassana hissed. Just then, Shepard could hear a couple steps above her. The assassin had arrived. "And I'll pay double again if you tell me who hired you." She really was desperate. "What?" she demanded at her squirming guards.

"I heard something," she other asari responded.

" _Damn it_ , check the other entrances." She pointed at Shepard. "You...stay put." And Shepard kept her eye on Nassana, watching with her peripheral vision as the assassin silently landed in the room, behind her guards. "When I'm done dealing with this nuisance..." The assassin made quick work of the guards. "...you and I are going to.. who?" She slowly turned only to see the assassin fire at the asari commando, swipe Nassana's  own pistol and press it against her stomach. She only had a second to react before the shot, but after, all she could do was moan to death as the assassin, apparently a drell, gently laid her down on her desk. As the last breath of life left he body, he placed her hands over her belly wound, and clasped his own hands before him.

"Impressive," Garrus commented. "You certainly know how to make an entrance." Shepard could only agree after that sight. But the assassin didn't answer. Didn't react at all, actually.

Shepard stepped closer, her patience wearing thin. "I just tore this place apart looking for you. The least you can do is look at me."

After a beat, he spoke, his voice deep and gruff, nearly reminding Shepard of turian voices. "Prayers for the wicked must never be forsaken."

Shepard shrugged, a little confused. "Nassana and her men deserve what they got."

The drell furrowed his brow line, shook his head. "Not for her," he finally looked up, and Shepard could see his big, black eyes, "For me." He ran his hand along the desk as he walked around it. "The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone." He gestured his hand to the party. "Take you, for instance. All this destruction...chaos." He made his way and in front of the three of them, however, Shepard's eyes had fallen to stare at Nassana. "I was curious to see how far you'd go to find me. Well.." he fully faced Shepard. "Here I am."

Shepard looked back up at him. "Did you already know I was coming?"

"No, I didn't. Not until you marched in the front door and started shooting," he corrected, walking passed Shepard and up to Garrus, who was still in a defensive posture. "Nassana had become paranoid. You saw the strength of her guard force. She believed one of her sisters would kill her." He tilted his head to offer a sideways glance back at Shepard. "You were a valuable distraction."

Shepard once again had to agree. Nassana never even expected him when three fully armed aliens were hauling ass through her towers in an obvious fashion. But she wasn't there to help him with his contract. "Let's cut to the chase. I need you for a mission."

"Indeed?"

"There's a race out there called the Collectors," she began as the drell walked back to Nassana's desk, and looked out at the Illium sun. "They've been abducting humans. I'm going to teach them why that's a bad idea."

The assassin spun around after hearing this. "Attacking the Collectors would require passing through the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so."

Shepard shrugged, walking up to meet him. "They tell me it's a suicide mission. I intend to prove them wrong."

"A suicide mission," he repeated, holding his hands behind his back. He slowly closed his eyes. "Yes, a suicide mission will do quite nicely." And after a fair pause, he added, "I'm dying." He turns to her as he continues. "Low survival odds don't concern me. The abduction of your colonists does."

There was no mention of him being sick on the dossier, so that caught her off guard. "You're dying? Are you contagious? How long do you have?" They questions were important, but she stopped herself from asking more since she thought that would be very rude.

The drell seemed to not mind being asked. "If you're interested, we can discuss it on your ship. The problem isn't contagious, and it won't affect my work."

"Not to look a gift assassin in the mouth," Shepard, scratched her head, "But why are human colonies a concern to you?"

"They are innocent, yes? Like all victims of the Collectors." He tilted his head. "The universe is a dark place. I'm trying to make it brighter before I die." And Shepard was again caught off guard by that remark. For an assassin, he didn't really seem like... an assassin. "Many innocents died today. I wasn't fast enough, and they suffered. I must atone for that."

Shepard stayed still and slightly defensive, but was once more shocked to hear those words from his mouth. She never told anyone this, but once her military career really took off, and especially after Elysium, she felt an obligation to serve everyone in the galaxy. She felt this insane pressure to remain on her toes and remain between the innocents and the monsters. But she didn't want to tell anyone about it because once she accepted the Spectre status, she realized, that was what people needed her to be. Strong and brave in the face of pressure, monsters, and even death.

"I will work for you, Shepard," he offered his hand, and Shepard shook it with a nod, "No charge."


	4. A Little Time Together

"I'd like that," he answered with a small smile. He stood, stepping up to the window. The commander followed. "You should understand, my cardiovascular system is not what it once- Mmm..." Shepard cut him off with the force of her full lips and he wrapped his arms around her. After a few moments, she pulled back, blinking feverishly a couple times.

"You were saying something?" she smirked, her black pupils widening subtly.

Thane stared into her green eyes, all those emotions she left him with in Life Support flooding back to him. "I've missed you, Venus," he breathed truthfully, and he pulled her back in to fully embrace her. He could hear the familiar sigh of Shepard trying to hold back her tears. He wondered if she could tell he was doing the same. After hearing about Earth... It was good to have her in his arms.

She pulled back again, trailing her fingers down his shoulder and arm until she reached his hand. "You can spend a few minutes away from this place, can't you?" she asked. Thane nodded, knowing she wanted to take him to the Normandy. She pulled him beside her, holding his hand tight. She had thought of him so often while she was stuck on Earth. She wanted so badly to dip out on the Alliance to come find him, and bring him back to Earth to visit a desert like he told her he wanted. But convincing the Alliance was a bitter priority she had to face no matter what, even if it seemed like a hopeless battle.

Walking through the Citadel to reach the Normandy earned them a few double takes. It's possible most civilian's eyes were initially caught by the sight of a drell, but once they noticed the renowned human spectre, Commander Shepard, undead and proudly holding his hand, they had to take a second look.

She forgets how recognizable she is, especially on the Citadel. Especially after her death. It wasn't just someone who saved the Citadel from complete destruction, but it was also like seeing a ghost. She felt like they couldn't get through D24 fast enough.

What a relief it was to finally step into the Normandy. Most of the crew was still taking their leave, so they made their way to the elevator without stopping to visit anyone. As they rose, Shepard laid her head on his shoulder, taking a moment to savor having him there. "Siha..." Thane pulled her into a sweet embrace, kissing her forehead.

"I missed...everything about you, Thane," Shepard looks into his blackened eyes. Thane stared at her pale face, the corners of her lips pulling up just a little as she stared back. Thane learned a lot about humans after meeting Shepard. He learned from literature that humans would attempt to memorize their lover's face, their whole shape. He was blessed with the ability to never forget, but for a couple moments, he let his eyes trail every curve and line of her face.

If he didn't had her face committed to memory, he might not have immediately recognized her with her hair grown out. He hadn't expected it to be so curly either, her bangs heavy on her forehead. He followed the crooked curve of her nose, broken a few too many times. He could remember the last time she broke it during the Collectors.

He stared at the scar stretching over her nose and all the way across her face. Before he left the Normandy, she admitted to him that it was from her childhood, surviving in viscous gangs, but she didn't tell him what exactly happened. He assumed it was a painful memory for her. He jumped from freckle to freckle, making his way down her face.

When his sight finally fell upon her full, soft lips, he decided to stop memorizing, and instead,  _be alive_  with her. He cupped her smiling face and pulled her closer, letting their lips meet once more. She grasped his shoulders, leaning into him. He welcomed the weight, until he felt his head start to spin. He got breathless rapidly, and he opened his eyes before he began to lean back.

"Thane?" Shepard broke the kiss, gripping him to stay upright.

"I apologize, Siha," Thane reached back to lean on the wall. "I must..." He began a coughing fit, and Shepard realized they'd been standing in the open elevator.

"C'mon," she carried most of his weight to her cabin and she walked him to the chair at her private terminal, fearing trying to take him down the couple steps to the couch. "Do you want me to get Dr. Chakwas?"

"No," he breathed. "I think I should just rest for a minute." And the commander gave him room to do so, wringing her hands.

"I'll get you some water," she rushed off. As Thane sat there, awaiting her return, he noticed the flash on her terminal, telling her there was a message. As his eyes trailed over the desk, he found a picture frame, holding their very figures. It was the picture Eden took in the Mess Hall before the trip through the Omega 4 relay. Near-dreamy smiles painted their faces and the same smile crossed his lips. It was comforting to know she really had been thinking about him and missing him, just as he had been aching for her.

He didn't think she would lie to him, in fact when they were alone or relaxing on the Normandy before the Reapers showed up, she was very affectionate and she clearly loved him. She was open and curious, and she enjoyed touching him. She said his skin was different, and she was often touching his hands. He was surprised with how affectionate Shepard was. Once they discussed their mutual feelings, she became very open and physical. Unexpected, but welcome.

"Here," Shepard offered, stepping up behind Thane. He accepted the glass, and thanked her before taking a hesitant sip. "I'm sorry," she bit her lip. "I shouldn't have taken you off the citadel."

Thane set the glass on the desk and spun the chair around to face her. He placed his hands on her hips, pulling her close. "It's okay, Venus. It can happen no matter where I go."

"But if something goes wrong," she argued, resting her hands on his shoulders, "You should be closer to your doctor."

"Siha," Thane stopped her, standing to meet her lips with his. She sighed again, pulling him close, the relief of his presence becoming addictive. He softly broke off the kiss, whispering, "I'll be okay." He looked into her fluttery eyes, her pupils getting even bigger once more. After the Omega 4 Relay, she must have grown a tolerance to the drell's natural toxins. Her fuzziness wasn't as noticable in her eyes, her skin didn't break out nearly as bad. But over half a year later, she'd become unfamiliar with him, and she was far more affected. "I can stay a little longer, if you'll go a bit easier on me," he added with a smile.

Shepard laughed. "I promise to do my best." She placed the softest kiss on the corner of his lips, and he gripped her shoulders, her touch providing him with more and more ease.


End file.
